Donald Trump

Donald Trump
Born	Donald John Trump 14 6, 1946
Birthplace	Queens, New York City, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Template:Flatlist
Known for	45th and 47th President of the United States
Education	University of Pennsylvania (B.S.)
Spouse(s)	Template:Plainlist
Children	5
Website	[https://www.donaldjtrump.com Official site]

Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman serving as the 47th President of the United States since January 20, 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021. Born into a wealthy real estate family in Queens, New York City, Trump rose to national prominence through decades of high-profile business ventures, branding deals, and a career in reality television before entering electoral politics. He won the 2016 presidential election against Hillary Clinton, becoming the first president with no prior government or military service. After losing the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, Trump mounted an unsuccessful effort to overturn the result. He was impeached twice by the House of Representatives—in 2019 and 2021—and acquitted by the Senate both times. In 2024, he became the first former or sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a felony, after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. He won the 2024 presidential election against Vice President Kamala Harris and returned to office in January 2025. His second term has been marked by the imposition of sweeping tariffs, mass deportation policies, extensive use of executive orders, and significant federal workforce reductions, prompting hundreds of legal challenges.

Early Life

Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in the New York City borough of Queens. He was the fourth of five children born to Fred Trump, a real estate developer, and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, a Scottish immigrant. The Trump family's wealth derived from Fred Trump's extensive real estate holdings across Queens and Brooklyn, where the elder Trump built and managed middle-income housing developments.

Trump grew up in the affluent neighborhood of Jamaica Estates. As a child, he was described as energetic and assertive. At age 13, his parents enrolled him at the New York Military Academy in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, a private boarding school, where he completed high school. At the academy, Trump participated in athletics, playing varsity football and baseball, and achieved the rank of captain during his senior year.

The family's real estate business provided the backdrop for Trump's formative years. He accompanied his father to construction sites and rental properties, gaining early exposure to the mechanics of real estate development and management. Fred Trump's business model—focused on government-subsidized housing in New York City's outer boroughs—would serve as both a foundation and a contrast for his son's later career, which gravitated toward luxury properties and high-profile commercial developments in Manhattan.

Trump's upbringing in one of New York City's wealthiest families afforded him access to elite educational institutions and business networks that would prove instrumental in his later ventures. His older brother, Fred Trump Jr., had been expected to take over the family business but pursued a career as a pilot; he died in 1981 from complications related to alcoholism at age 42. Trump has cited his brother's death as the reason he has largely abstained from alcohol and tobacco throughout his life.

Education

Trump began his undergraduate studies at Fordham University in the Bronx, where he attended for two years before transferring to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics.

During his time as an undergraduate, the Vietnam War was escalating, and Trump received several draft deferments. He received four student deferments while in college and, after graduating, received a medical deferment for bone spurs in his heels. He was never deployed to Vietnam.

Trump's education at the Wharton School—one of the country's most prominent business programs—became a frequent point of emphasis in his later public and political career, as he often referenced his attendance there as evidence of his business acumen and intellectual credentials.

Career

Real Estate and the Trump Organization

In 1971, Trump assumed control of his father's real estate company, Elizabeth Trump & Son, and renamed it the Trump Organization. Under his leadership, the company shifted its focus from middle-income housing in the outer boroughs of New York City to large-scale, luxury developments in Manhattan and, eventually, around the world.

One of Trump's earliest major projects was the renovation of the Commodore Hotel near Grand Central Terminal, which he redeveloped in partnership with the Hyatt hotel chain into the Grand Hyatt New York, completed in 1980. The project received significant tax abatements from New York City and established Trump as a prominent figure in Manhattan real estate.

In 1983, Trump completed construction of Trump Tower, a 58-story mixed-use skyscraper on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The building, which served as both the headquarters of the Trump Organization and Trump's personal residence, became one of the most recognizable buildings in New York City and a symbol of the era's luxury real estate boom. The tower's prominent location and opulent design—featuring a six-story pink marble atrium with a waterfall—attracted considerable media attention and reinforced Trump's image as a developer of high-end properties.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Trump expanded his business interests to include casinos, hotels, and golf courses. He acquired and developed several casino properties in Atlantic City, New Jersey, including the Trump Taj Mahal, which opened in 1990 as the largest casino in the world at the time. However, the Atlantic City ventures were plagued by financial difficulties. Between 1991 and 2009, businesses associated with Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy six times. These bankruptcies primarily affected his casino holdings and did not involve Trump's personal assets, but they resulted in significant losses for investors and creditors.

Trump also pursued ventures in other sectors, including an airline (the Trump Shuttle), a board game, a brand of vodka, and a line of steaks, among others. Many of these ventures were short-lived. A significant portion of Trump's later business activity involved licensing the Trump name to properties and products developed or manufactured by other companies, generating revenue through branding rather than direct ownership or construction.

The Trump Organization developed or licensed its name to properties in numerous countries, including towers, hotels, and golf courses across the United States, as well as in countries such as Turkey, the Philippines, India, and the United Arab Emirates. The precise valuation of Trump's wealth has been a subject of ongoing debate; Trump has frequently claimed a net worth significantly higher than estimates produced by financial publications.

Television Career

From 2004 to 2015, Trump served as the host and executive producer of The Apprentice, a reality television competition series on NBC. The show featured contestants competing for a management position within the Trump Organization, with Trump eliminating one contestant per episode using his signature catchphrase, "You're fired." The program was a significant commercial success in its early seasons and substantially increased Trump's national visibility and name recognition.

A celebrity edition of the show, The Celebrity Apprentice, debuted in 2008 and continued in various iterations. The television career cemented Trump's status as a cultural figure and household name, exposing him to audiences far beyond the New York real estate world. His persona on the show—that of a decisive, authoritative business mogul—became central to his public image and, later, to his political brand.

Entry into Politics and 2016 Presidential Campaign

Trump had expressed interest in running for president on multiple occasions prior to 2015. He briefly sought the Reform Party's presidential nomination in 2000 and made public statements about potential candidacies in other cycles. His party affiliations shifted over the decades; he was registered as a Republican, as a member of the Reform Party, as a Democrat, and as an independent at various times before re-registering as a Republican in 2012.

On June 16, 2015, Trump announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election from the lobby of Trump Tower. His announcement speech drew immediate controversy for remarks about Mexican immigrants, setting the tone for a campaign that frequently dominated news coverage. Running as a political outsider, Trump defeated a field of 16 other Republican candidates to secure the party's nomination.

In the general election, Trump faced Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party nominee and former Secretary of State. Despite trailing in most pre-election polls, Trump won the Electoral College with 306 electoral votes to Clinton's 232, while receiving approximately 2.9 million fewer votes in the national popular vote. His victory was attributed in part to narrow wins in several key swing states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Trump became the first person elected president with no prior government or military experience.

First Presidency (2017–2021)

Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, 2017, with Mike Pence serving as vice president.

Among his early executive actions was the imposition of a travel ban restricting entry to the United States from several Muslim-majority countries. The order faced immediate legal challenges, and revised versions were issued before the Supreme Court upheld a modified version in 2018. Trump also prioritized expansion of the border wall along the U.S.–Mexico border and implemented a family separation policy at the border that drew widespread criticism from human rights organizations, medical professionals, and members of both political parties.

In December 2017, Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the most significant overhaul of the U.S. tax code in decades. The legislation reduced the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent and lowered individual income tax rates across most brackets. Supporters credited the law with stimulating economic growth, while critics argued it disproportionately benefited corporations and high-income earners and increased the federal deficit.

Trump appointed three justices to the Supreme Court during his first term: Neil Gorsuch (2017), Brett Kavanaugh (2018), and Amy Coney Barrett (2020). These appointments shifted the court's ideological balance and had significant implications for subsequent rulings on issues including abortion, gun rights, and executive authority.

On foreign policy, Trump withdrew the United States from several international agreements, including the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Iran nuclear deal. He initiated a trade war with China, imposing tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of Chinese goods. He also engaged in direct diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, including historic summits in 2018 and 2019, though these did not result in a denuclearization agreement.

The COVID-19 pandemic dominated the final year of Trump's first term. Trump was criticized by public health officials and political opponents for downplaying the severity of the pandemic and for making statements that contradicted guidance from health authorities. In March 2020, he signed the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus package. His administration's Operation Warp Speed initiative accelerated the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives on December 18, 2019, on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his dealings with Ukraine, in which he was accused of pressuring the Ukrainian government to investigate political rival Joe Biden. The Senate acquitted him on both charges in February 2020.

Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Democratic nominee Joe Biden, receiving 232 electoral votes to Biden's 306. Trump refused to concede the election and repeatedly claimed, without substantiation, that it had been marred by widespread fraud. His campaign and allies filed dozens of lawsuits challenging the results in multiple states; nearly all were dismissed or decided against Trump.

On January 6, 2021, a rally organized by Trump and his supporters near the White House preceded an attack on the United States Capitol by a mob that breached the building as Congress was certifying the Electoral College results. Five people died in connection with the event. Trump was impeached a second time on January 13, 2021, by the House of Representatives, charged with incitement of insurrection. The Senate acquitted him on February 13, 2021, though seven Republican senators voted to convict—the most bipartisan impeachment vote for a president in U.S. history.

Legal Proceedings (2023–2024)

Following his departure from office, Trump faced multiple civil and criminal legal proceedings. In 2023, a federal jury found Trump liable in a civil case for sexual abuse and defamation brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, awarding her $5 million in damages. A subsequent defamation trial in 2024 resulted in an additional $83.3 million judgment against Trump. Also in 2023, a New York state court found Trump and the Trump Organization liable for fraud in a civil case brought by the New York Attorney General, resulting in penalties exceeding $350 million and restrictions on Trump's ability to conduct business in New York.

In 2023 and 2024, Trump was indicted in four separate criminal cases: a federal case related to the obstruction of the 2020 election, a federal case related to the retention of classified documents, a New York state case involving the falsification of business records related to a hush money payment, and a Georgia state case involving efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in that state. In May 2024, a New York jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts in the business records case, making him the first current or former U.S. president to be convicted of a felony. He was subsequently sentenced to an unconditional discharge, meaning no jail time or probation was imposed.

Following his election to a second presidential term, the two federal criminal cases were dismissed without prejudice, consistent with longstanding Department of Justice policy against prosecuting a sitting president.

2024 Presidential Campaign and Second Presidency

Trump announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election on November 15, 2022. He secured the Republican nomination and faced Vice President Kamala Harris in the general election after President Biden withdrew from the race in July 2024. Trump won the election, securing both the Electoral College and the popular vote.

Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025, with JD Vance as vice president. His second term began with a series of executive orders addressing immigration, federal employment, and trade policy. The administration initiated mass layoffs of federal workers and launched large-scale deportation operations.

A central feature of Trump's second term has been the imposition of tariffs on imports from nearly all countries at levels not seen since the Great Depression. On February 24, 2026, a new global tariff of 10 percent took effect. The tariffs have faced legal challenges, including a lawsuit by FedEx seeking full refunds after the Supreme Court ruled that Trump lacked authority to impose certain duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a comprehensive legislative package. His administration's actions—including the targeting of political opponents, restrictions affecting transgender individuals, and extensive use of executive power—have prompted over 550 lawsuits challenging their legality.

On February 24, 2026, Trump was scheduled to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. Ahead of the address, polling indicated declining approval ratings among Democrats and independents, though his support among Republicans remained strong.

Personal Life

Trump has been married three times. He married his first wife, Czech-born model Ivana Trump, in 1977; the couple divorced in 1992. They had three children: Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump. In 1993, Trump married actress Marla Maples; they had one daughter, Tiffany Trump, and divorced in 1999. In 2005, Trump married Slovenian-born model Melania Trump (née Knauss); their son, Barron Trump, was born in 2006. Melania Trump served as First Lady of the United States during Trump's first term and resumed the role upon his return to office in 2025.

Trump has been a resident of New York City for most of his life, primarily at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. In 2019, he changed his primary residence to Mar-a-Lago, his private club and estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Mar-a-Lago has served as a social and political hub during both his post-presidential period and his second term.

Trump has stated that he largely abstains from alcohol, a decision he has attributed to the death of his older brother Fred Trump Jr. from alcoholism-related complications. He is known for his activity on social media; he was a prolific user of Twitter before being permanently suspended from the platform in January 2021 following the Capitol attack. He subsequently launched Truth Social, a social media platform operated by Trump Media & Technology Group.

Recognition

Trump's election as president in 2016 and again in 2024 represent the most significant public recognitions of his political career. He is one of only two presidents in U.S. history to serve non-consecutive terms, the other being Grover Cleveland.

Prior to his political career, Trump received recognition as a prominent figure in American business and popular culture. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007 for his work as producer of The Apprentice. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 for his involvement with World Wrestling Entertainment events.

Trump has been named Time magazine's Person of the Year on multiple occasions, including in 2016 following his first presidential election victory. The designation reflects newsworthiness rather than an endorsement or honor.

His two impeachments—in 2019 and 2021—made him the only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. His 2024 felony conviction made him the first current or former president to be found guilty of criminal charges. These events, while not honors, constitute historically significant distinctions that have defined his place in American political history.

Legacy

Trump's impact on American politics has been substantial and remains a subject of active debate. Since 2015, his leadership style and political agenda—often described as Trumpism—have reshaped the identity and platform of the Republican Party. The party shifted during his tenure toward positions emphasizing economic nationalism, immigration restriction, skepticism of international alliances and trade agreements, and opposition to what Trump and his supporters characterize as political and cultural elitism.

His first presidency saw the appointment of three Supreme Court justices who contributed to a conservative majority that has issued significant rulings on abortion, gun rights, and administrative law. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act represented a major restructuring of the federal tax code. His trade policies, including tariffs on Chinese goods, represented a departure from the free-trade consensus that had characterized U.S. economic policy for decades.

The events of January 6, 2021, and their aftermath have been central to assessments of Trump's legacy. The attack on the Capitol, Trump's role in the events leading to it, and the subsequent second impeachment remain among the most scrutinized episodes in modern American political history.

Trump's second presidency has continued and expanded upon themes from his first term, with more aggressive use of executive authority, tariffs at historically high levels, and policies that have generated unprecedented legal challenges. His approach to federal governance—including mass layoffs of government employees and the centralization of executive power—has prompted discussion about the boundaries of presidential authority under the U.S. Constitution.

As of February 2026, Trump is the sitting president and continues to shape American domestic and foreign policy. Polling indicates polarized public opinion, with strong Republican support and declining approval among Democrats and independents.